Friday, February 13, 2015

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert means cooked cream , it's basically a creamy thickened pudding . This dessert is simple to make at home with just few minutes hands-on prep. I've tried Christine's recipe as I need to get rid of the matcha powder that I bought a long time ago . I'm so glad that I made this because it's not only looks pretty but tastes sinfully delicious to boot ! Of course , hers has 3 gorgeous layers but mine came out with just two , it's either I missed something when I made this or the cooler weather in this side of the world sets the mixture faster before it form into several layers . That difference aside , this dessert for sure will please even a die-hard matcha lover ! If you love matcha in any form , you'll gonna dig this light , refreshing , creamy and melt-in-your mouth panna cotta !

And because tomorrow is V-Day , why not make it for yourself and for that special someone ?! Okay , I'm still looking for a date , any takers ? lol

* Pour the water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin powder , let soften for 5 minutes . Take out 40 ml of the milk and mix with matcha powder , set aside .

* Place the remaining milk , cream and sugar in a saucepan . Let simmer over medium heat , stirring , until sugar is completely dissolved , 2 minutes or so , tun off heat . Whisk in the soften gelatin , stir until gelatin is completely dissolved , about 1 minute . Stir in the matcha mixture and the vanilla , stir well to combine .

* Strain mixture into a bowl , use a spoon to press down some small particles residing onto the sieve . Divide mixture into two 300 ml-capacity moulds . Let them sit for 30 minutes at room temperature for layers to form then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours . To unmould , dip mould into a bowl of hot water for 2 seconds , then turn it upside down into a saucer / plate , Serve on its own or with any fresh fruit or fruit sauce / coulis .

Saturday, February 7, 2015

It so happens that I picked up this free Chinese daily a week ago and while I was browsing it , only the photos as I can't read Chinese , I saw this steamed turnip recipe . I wasn't planning on posting another loh bak goh recipe but when I saw another variation , more cornstarch compare to rice flour , I was intrigued heh ! In the recipe that I usually use , it's more rice flour than the other way around so I decided to make it to check whether it is more better than the one I previously made .

I often wonder how did they make those turnip cake that they serve at the Chinese restaurant . Compare to homecooked one which is a bit softer , the restaurant version is more of a sturdier version , compact yet still soft . I think they used more cornstarch than rice flour , this recipe is almost similar to the ones that you can have at some Chinese resto here .

I don't know if the procedure in making this steamed cake is lost in translation . I forgot to ask my translator whether the turnip is supposed to be grated rather than diced and yeah , I diced it ugh ! It took me about 25 minutes to diced the turnip , grating it will take about 5 minutes , darn ! But there was no noticeable difference in texture when you eat it . When I make it again , I'll reduced the cornstarch to 100 grams and use a bit more rice flour , I find that it tastes a bit cornstarchy , for a lack of a better word . Oh , don't be stingy when greasing the pan , trust me , using that much oil will make getting off the steamed turnip cake out of the round pan so much easier , though you can get away by only using 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons .

Recipe adapted from Knorr newspaper ad or check Chinese recipe here . The procedure is slightly different for the original . Translation by Sofanfan

* Heat wok , add in the Chinese sausage , cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until it renders some fat then add in the shrimps and mushrooms , cook for 2 more minutes . Transfer to a plate , set aside .

* In the same pan / wok , add in the diced turnip , water and sugar , cover and cook over medium heat , stirring from time to time , for 10 minutes or until turnip softens . Strain mixture over a mixing bowl and put turnip back into the pan .

* Combine cornstarch , rice flour , chicken powder , salt and ground white pepper and add it into the hot turnip water ; whisk together until well combined .

* Add the Chinese sausage mixture into the pan with the turnip , stir until combine then pour in the rice flour and cornstarch mixture , adjust seasoning , if needed . Turn heat to medium and keep stirring until mixture thickens , about 1 minute or so . Take pan off heat and transfer mixture into the prepared pan .

* Steam over medium-high heat for 45 to 50 minutes . Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the cooked turnip cake and leave it inside the wok , covered , to cool completely .

* Run a knife around the pan and transfer the turnip cake into the plate , top with some sesame seeds and sliced spring onion . Cut into slices and pan fry , serve with chili sauce or hoisin sauce .